The Koalas

I was a supervisor for a very well known store in Sydney. I could not get over how slack everyone was in work. Took me a long time to get used to it but evntualy went with the flow of things. Used to go out of the front entrance and went off shopping for 2 hours at a time. My manager knew and was "cool" about it, he used to do it himself. Used to go off for coffees and a muffin with people in the office for hour long coffee breaks. I used to be very keen in the UK and was very frurstrated by the way the Ozzies operated, but really, once I chilled out and did like the locals i became more relaxed and even enjoyed work. No use struggling to work hard when all around are so laid back. Used to go out the office for lunch and sit in Darling harbour for an hour or more and then go back. Used to sit there and think of all my mates back in the UK working hard.

bondipom

I have worked in a lot of different offices in Oz. The NSW government was a joke. There were people that sat round and did f*** all all day. I am not sure how they managed it.

In most of the other places people worked hard and got the job done. I found it more relaxing in the UK but just as productive.

The only people in my current job who slack are the managers!! Everyone else works hard. Most try to get out on time but there are workalholics about. Not very different to the UK.

Fruit picking was very hard work because it was paid by the piece. No work no money.

tennisoz

Here we go, expert on over 19 million people from one or two experiences! Someone else on here a few weeks ago (trained engineer with a scientific background) said ALL middle class Australians (most of the 19 million would consider themselves that) lie as a matter of course!! Unbelievable.

For what it's worth, if anything I think many Aussies would say they tend to rebel against authority - I would, I know, I do!

It is interesting to note that others with different jobs for different employers believe the opposite about the so-called national ethic.

TennisOz

MeganEkno

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Sunlover
The thing is, they DON'T actually work harder here - they just STAY in the office longer, as Herman has said, "to impress the boss."

It's pathetic really - Aussies have such a great need for approval from authority figures and absolutely no inclination to challenge the system.

Get a grip! I have never in my life seen such a great amount of butt kissing as I have in the UK. In my opinion.....

jandjuk

Yes but our point is that you can't paint all Australia with the same brush - as Bondipom and TennisOz point out.

It sounds more than the particular office you work in than the whole country. There are offices the same as yours in the UK, and offices where everyone leaves at 5pm in aust.

I don't object to what you are saying, and using it as an example, but it would better of you clearly specified that your workplace is that, and others may be different.

bondipom

Post 999 and cyberslacking at work

PeteY

Somthing i find interesting....

There are now a total of 4 job agencies in London, who cater ONLY for kiwis and Aussies. Not because they are setup by them, but because they work hard.

I know, as my wife used to work for one of them. They used to get companies phoning all the time, saying that they wanted an aussie only, because they needed somone who would get the job done, quickly.

Now .....flame me all you will....but that surely says a fair bit about the aus work ethic, if they are willing to creat aussie only agencies in the middle of London. If aussies were so slack, why oh why would people continually use these agencies?

markeh

Welshboybilly,

we must have a cofee break with a bite to eat first if we wonna fit in. (It's seams to be the oz way from all the comments above)
We could probably fit in a bit of shopping as well, but only for bloke stuff.

Bye
Markeh

jandjuk

I think people confuse being laid back with not working hard.

They're not the same thing - it is possible to be laid back and work hard at the same time.

MeganEkno

I agree. I also think some people mistake "some Australians" with "all Australians"

Badge

The most highly paid bloke I knew at Canary Wharf in London and who was in the office with me was a Strayan. He'd been contracting for years for the same mob.

so a) strayans are quite capable of working hard??
b) to get the job they must have had a fairly good education...which kind of goes against all this Strayan Education is bad etc??!!

Rugby balls eh? I used to keep a rugby ball in the office in london and a group of us to used to punt it around in the car park..

to avoid the road and the cars helped you develop a degree of accuracy..

badge

Sunlover

They look for South Africans too - I know because I got a job in London through one of them. I agree that the Aussies and Kiwis that I worked with in London did work hard, however they seem to have a different mindset when they're on home turf.

The kind of person who has the motivation to go overseas is also more of a go-getter generally and it would be logical that they would work harder. Plus being an immigrant or a vistor in a new country you have a lot more to prove and that makes you work harder too.

Those agencies are also created because you can often pay South Africans / Aussies and Kiwis less than their British counterparts.